SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 17, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — A 19-year-old man was charged Tuesday with the shooting death of another teen he had fought with at a private party organized to celebrate the end of summer.
Felix Diego-Rufino, who was 18 at the time of the Sept. 10 shooting, was charged in the death of 18-year-old J’Kye Lovell Ray Watkins.
Charges against Diego-Rufino are:
- Murder, a first-degree felony
- Seven counts of felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony
- Obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony
The findings of the ongoing investigation, now in its fifth month, are grounded in multiple witnesses’ accounts cited by police in a probable cause statement filed in Salt Lake County Third District Court.
A case summary provided in a Tuesday press release by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, says it all began when the victim and the assailants tangled earlier in the evening.
“On Sept. 10, 2023, Mr. Watkins and some friends attended an end of summer party near 2100 South and 900 East,” the press release said. “Mr. Watkins got into a fight with Mr. Diego-Rufino and another friend at the gathering.
“After the fight, Mr. Watkins and his friends went to the parking lot of a nearby drugstore. While there, Mr. (Felix) Diego-Rufino and some other friends pulled up in a car and jumped out, the press release said.
“Mr. Diego-Rufino and his front-seat passenger both had guns.
“Mr. Diego-Rufino said to Mr. Watkins, ‘You started this.’
“Mr. Watkins then allegedly pulled out a gun and fired it towards their car.
“Mr. Diego-Rufino and his front passenger then fired their weapons at Mr. Watkins….”
Police responded to numerous shots fired calls and “located J’Kye Watkins with several gunshot wounds to his head, legs, and abdomen. J’kye was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.”
Other witness accounts in the probable cause statement offer more insight into the shoving match that led to the shooting.
One of those witnesses told police “that while in the club, a male dressed in all black, later identified as J’Kye, shoulder checked him and pushed him.” The witness said “he pushed back” and that Felix and another male pulled J’Kaye back.
Sometime later, Felix and the other male, “came running back to the car stating that they had beaten up J’Kye and pulled a gun on him.”
Felix and the other male then “put on ski masks and told the (witness) and his cousin to put their hoodies up to cover their faces.”
The witness told police they “pulled up on J’Kye in the Walgreen’s parking lot with Felix driving.
“They all jumped out and Felix and the other male had guns in their hands.”
The witness said he believes that J’Kye pulled out a gun and fired his gun toward the car. Felix and the other male then fired multiple times at J’Kye, stating they “emptied their clips.”
The witness stated that Felix and the other alleged shooter threatened them to “keep their mouths shut or they would come back at them.”
The car, captured on surveillance video, was traced back to Diego-Rufino, as were social media conversations between the males who had been in the sedan and gun evidence found at Diego-Rufino’s residence.
“After the shooting, the defendant went to great lengths to cover up his involvement, including trading in his vehicle for a new one,” the probable cause statement said. “Due to the serious nature of the allegations and the defendant’s lack of regard for the safety of the community, he should be held without bail.”
The D.A.’s office closed its news release “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of J’kye Watkins. Gun violence in Salt Lake County not only affects the victim and their loved ones, but it puts the entire community at risk as well.”
“We appreciate the hard work of the Salt Lake City Police Department that spent months gathering the necessary evidence that led to these charges.”
Gill also noted that “All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”
